Hello once again Orange county! It’s Friday afternoon and you are listening to food for thought. Here once again I’m you’re host Greg welcome to show number 4 of food for thought! Last time on food for thought I gave tips, I had a list of some of the worst entree choices from fast food restaurants, and I had a list of some of the weirdest ice cream flavors around as well as a recipe for one of them Bacon flavored ice cream. Now let’s get on with this week’s show.
The nation encountered epidemic of brain-freezes and sugar highs last Sunday as free slurpee day occurred at 7-11’s all across the country. The event happened from 8am to 11pm and naturally people crowded into their nearest 7-11 to get in on the frozen, sugary drink. Free Slurpee day is a celebration of "7-11" day. Although people throughout the nation have enjoyed the icy drink for decades, few have stopped to think about the origins of the drink and the 7-Eleven Company so here’s a little history lesson.
Originally named Southland Corporation, 7-Eleven was founded by Joe C. Thompson in 1927. The company officially switched to its present name in 1999.
What began as selling milk, eggs and bread on an ice dock in Dallas, Texas, has developed into the world’s largest chain store with more than 38,000 outlets operating around the world.
The convenience stores were called 7-Eleven stores in the beginning because they were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Now most 7-Elevens run 24 hours a day, although this did not happen until 1962.
The Slurpee, an original product created by 7-Eleven, was introduced in 1967 and has been popular ever since. Which means the slurpee is 7-11’s brain child.
Although no serious harm can be done by consuming sweetened beverages once in a while, it is wise to be careful about portion size and frequency of sweetened drinks.
various health organizations like the CDC of the National Institutes of Health have linked excessive consumption of things like slurpees can lead to health problems, and even obesity if you’re not careful. However having slurpees every once in a while is fine and on hot summer days it definitely hits the spot.
Originally named Southland Corporation, 7-Eleven was founded by Joe C. Thompson in 1927. The company officially switched to its present name in 1999.
What began as selling milk, eggs and bread on an ice dock in Dallas, Texas, has developed into the world’s largest chain store with more than 38,000 outlets operating around the world.
The convenience stores were called 7-Eleven stores in the beginning because they were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Now most 7-Elevens run 24 hours a day, although this did not happen until 1962.
The Slurpee, an original product created by 7-Eleven, was introduced in 1967 and has been popular ever since. Which means the slurpee is 7-11’s brain child.
Although no serious harm can be done by consuming sweetened beverages once in a while, it is wise to be careful about portion size and frequency of sweetened drinks.
various health organizations like the CDC of the National Institutes of Health have linked excessive consumption of things like slurpees can lead to health problems, and even obesity if you’re not careful. However having slurpees every once in a while is fine and on hot summer days it definitely hits the spot.
In other news Guacamole has been linked to food poisoning
CDC: Nearly 1 out of 25 foodborne illness outbreaks caused by tainted dips
Guacamole and salsa dips are often left sitting without refrigeration and the condiments are often made in big batches so that a small bit of contamination has the potential to sicken many people.
Better put down that tortilla chip.
Contaminated salsa or guacamole were the culprits in nearly 1 out of every 25 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to food in restaurants between 1998 and 2008, according to new research released today by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to CDC officials, that’s more than double the rate during the previous decade.
“Fresh salsa and guacamole, especially those served in retail food establishments, may be important vehicles of foodborne infection,”.
Part of the problem is that individual ingredients in salsa — peppers, tomatoes, cilantro — all have been linked to widespread salmonella outbreaks in recent years.
researchers scoured CDC records for salsa- and guacamole-linked outbreaks starting in 1973, when the agency began surveillance. They didn’t detect any until 1984. Of the 136 dip-related outbreaks they found, 84 percent were tied to restaurants and delis.
Between 1984 and 1997, salsa- and guacamole-linked accounted for about 1.5 percent of all food establishment outbreaks. From 1998 and 2008, that figure rose to nearly 4 percent, the CDC said.
The salsa and guacamole outbreaks sickened some 5,560 people, sent 145 people to hospital and contributed to three deaths, the researchers found. About a third of illnesses were caused by salmonella, 18 percent were caused by norovirus and about 15 percent by shigella. About a quarter of the infections were unknown.
It's not about people and their icky double-dipping, either. Incorrect storage times and temperatures were reported in 30 percent of the cases in restaurants or delis, possibly contributing to the problem. Food workers were the source of contamination in 20 percent of the outbreaks.
Salsa and guacamole are often left sitting without refrigeration. In addition, the condiments are often made in big batches so that a small bit of contamination has the potential to sicken many customers.
“Awareness that salsa and guacamole can transmit foodborne illness, particularly in restaurants, is key to preventing future outbreaks,” some researchers suggest.
The research was presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.
In March a coalition of consumer and public health groups said foodborne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill a year ago to reorganize the convoluted U.S. food safety system, but the Senate has yet to act, despite broad bipartisan agreement on the issue.
The CDC estimates that 76 million people in the United States get sick each year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die.
It’s kind of sad the guacamole is an increasing cause of food borne illness. You gotta be careful when eating guacamole. I just recently got into guacamole a few years ago. Oooh well! Now then here’s a great recipe for guacamole!
Perfect Guacamole
Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words - ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past ripe and not good. In this case, taste test first before using.Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- A dash of freshly grated black pepper
- 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Method
1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. (See How to Cut and Peel an Avocado.)2 Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.
Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.
3 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.
4 Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.
Serves 2-4.
Variations
For a very quick guacamole just take a 1/4 cup of salsa and mix it in with your mashed avocados.
You don't need to have tomatoes in your guacamole.
To extend a limited supply of avocados, add either sour cream or cottage cheese to your guacamole dip. Purists may be horrified, but so what? It tastes great. In fact, guacamole with a little cottage cheese added to it is my favorite.
This week I’ve been very interested in fruits to me summer has always been my favorite season it gets warmer out, the days are longer, and at night there always seems like there’s a wonderful aroma in the air. Summer is also the time when some of the greatest fruits of all are in season. Berries, cherries, and nectarines, sweet nectarines which like their name implies have the sweet and tangy nectar of the gods in them.
Tropical or exotic fruits seem almost synonymous with summer. One of the best known fruits is the mango. The large, oval sized, reddish, yellowish green fruit is native to the Indian subcontinent and India of course is the top producer of Mangos in the world. In several cultures, its fruit and leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings, public celebrations and religious ceremonies. The fruit is one of the most extensively used for food, juice, flavoring, fragrance, and color. Mangos are generally sweet, although the taste and texture of the flesh varies across cultivars, some having a soft, pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others flesh is firmer, like a cantaloupe or avocado. Some cultivars' flesh has a fibrous texture. Mangos are consumed both as ripe fruit and as an unripe fruit (vegetable). In unripe, pickled or cooked forms, the mango skin is consumed comfortably, whereas in ripe fruits, the skin is thicker and bitter and is usually not eaten. The ripe mango is commonly eaten fresh. Mangoes are widely used in cuisine. Sour, unripe mangoes are used in chutneys, pickles, side dishes, or may be eaten raw with salt, chili, or soy sauce. A cooling summer drink called panna or panha comes from mangoes.Ripe mangoes are typically eaten fresh, however, they can have many other culinary uses. Mango Lassi, a popular drink made throughout South Asia, is created by mixing ripe mangoes or mango pulp with yogurt and sugar. Ripe mangoes are also used to make curries. Aamras is a popular pulp/thick juice made of mangoes with sugar or milk and is consumed along with bread.
Mangoes are used in preserves like moramba, amchur (dried and powdered unripe mango) and pickles, including a spicy mustard-oil pickle. Ripe mangoes are often cut into thin layers, desiccated, folded, and then cut. These bars are similar to dried guava fruit bars available in some countries. The fruit is also added to cereal products like muesli and oat granola.
Unripe mango may be eaten with bagoong. Dried strips of sweet, ripe mango (sometimes combined with seedless tamarind to form Mangorind) are also popular. Mangoes may be used to make juices, mango nectar, and as a flavoring and major ingredient in ice cream and sorbetes.
Mango is used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. It is popular on a stick dipped in hot chili powder and salt or also as a main ingredient in fresh fruit combinations. In Central America, mango is either eaten green with salt, pepper and hot sauce, or ripe in various forms. Toasted and ground pumpkin seed (called pepita) with lime and salt are the norm when eating green mangoes. Some people also add soy sauce or chili sauce.
Pieces of mango can be mashed and used as a topping on ice cream or blended with milk and ice as milkshakes. Sweet glutinous rice is flavored with coconut then served with sliced mango as a dessert. In other parts of South-east Asia, mangoes are pickled with fish sauce and rice vinegar. Green mangoes can be used in mango salad with fish sauce and dried shrimp. Mango may be used as a topping to shaved ice along with condensed milk.
. There are thousands of different varieties of mango in the world with the most common variety being a fruit called the Tommy Atkins. I remember days when my dad would eat dried mango slices a lot.
Another interesting fruit is the Mangosteen. This small purplish fruit has a name which whenever I hear it makes me think of it as the Mango’s eastern European cousin or something but it actually is native to South east Asia and mangos and mangosteens are unrelated.. The fruit is surrounded by a thick inedible purple rind and on the inside is the edible flesh which is white, and looks like a white peeled orange. The fresh fruit is considered a very rare delicacy here in the US as it has a very short shelf life, and the tree favors climates that are consistently warm and humid which is why it’s hard to find them growing outside it’s native range however it can be occasionally found in some outdoor markets in Chinatowns, and other southeast Asian communities. You can however find mangosteens in juice form, possibly canned or dried, or as a flavoring.
I’ve also got some restaurant reviews for you listeners today! If you love seafood then try this restaurant it’s called the house of big fish and ice cold beer. I know the name sounds kind of unimaginative but this is a good place, and of course it’s name says everything about it. As it’s name implies it’s a restaurant that serves big amounts of fish and seafood’s as well as what the house of big fish people claim is one of the best beer selections in town for those of you that drink I wouldn’t know since I don’t drink. It’s open for lunch from 11:30 am-4:30pm and for dinner from 4:30 pm to 10:30pm they have a 3$ happy hour Monday-Friday from 4:30pm-5:30pm and they’ve got live entertainment Friday –Saturday from 9:30pm-midnight which in my opinion is pretty awesome. The restaurant is located at 540 South Coast Highway S-200 Laguna Beach and their phone number is 949-715-4500. For more information on the house of big fish and ice cold beer check out their website www.houseofbigfish.com they’re also on facebook and twitter at houseofBIGFISH.
Last weekend I was watching some of my favorite Simpsons episodes online because I was bired and then it got me thinking about doughnuts. There’s something wonderfully great about doughnuts, and of course you don’t exactly have to be homer simpson to be obsessed over them. And believe it or not they’re actually fairly easy to make at home and in fact like all kinds of foods homemade versions are better than the store bought kinds. You can whip up a batch of cake doughnuts in about an hour. Just put together a batch of yeast raised dough the night before and fry them up next morning.
Classic buttermilk cake doughnuts are a great place to start the method is similar to a classic cake recipe but with a slightly thicker dough.
(read buttermilk doughnut recipe)
Add an extra egg yolk for a little more richness and mix in a cup of buttermilk for both some texture and a hint of tanginess. Leavened with baking powder and a little baking soda these doughnuts don’t need time to rise. Simply roll them out and cut them up. Use a doughnut cutter or go with a couple of biscuit cutters or empty cans. Then of course fry them. Use a neutral refined oil, such as canola or vegetable oil they have a higher smoking point and a more neutral flavor. And always use a thermometer- a candy thermometer or digital one works well to keep the temperature consistent.
Proper temperature is key: too high, and the crust will scorch before it’s done in the center. Too low and instead of cooking in the oil it will soak up the oil like a sponge.
For chocolate lovers there’s nothing better than a great devil’s food doughnut, but the store bought ones are usually too sweet and artificial tasting. These are made with a technique similar to the buttermilk cake doughnuts. The trick here is adding a good amount of chocolate to the recipe, you can use both melted chocolate, and cocoa for depth of flavor.
(Read devil’s food doughnut recipe)
(read from the rest of the article if there’s still time)
Well that’s all the time I have for today’s show. If you have any questions or if you’re interested in doing an interview with me then you can email me at engg@uci.edu, or my other email Gregory.eng @ gmail.com. See you next week stay tuned for the OC show.
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